Ennis Pawn

One fateful afternoon; Olivia Strongkins walked into a salon, hoping to score a last minute appointment. Only to discover that despite the signs and all the right props, it wasn’t a hair salon at all. But a front for a drug and all things crime business. As startling a moment it was, her eyes met those of Dominic Salvatore and she saw forever. And therefore began to play a game of hide and seek with the notorious underground crime lord and billionaire. Who was hell bent on keeping her at arm’s length, as a mean to protect her from being used as a pawn by his enemies against him. Until she swiftly entered his heart and world, like she had always belonged there. Leaving him no choice but to claim her, despite the consequences- as his most prized possession.

They tried to break her. Instead, they forged her into a ruthless monster. Five years ago, Jasmine Ives was nothing but a naive girl in love, eager, and willing to hide her identity just to win Enoch Smith's heart. Instead, she was betrayed, humiliated, and cast aside by him for his perfect sweetheart. But Jasmine was never ordinary. She is the heir to the Ives conglomerates, a dynasty powerful enough to collapse industries with a single command. And now she's back, not for love, or mercy, but for payback. Every secret she knows. Every weakness they hide. Every illusion they built. She will tear it apart until nothing remains but ashes and fireworks. They wanted a pawn But they instead created a queen. And this time, the world will bow to the name they tried to erase: Jasmine Ives.

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

All Annabelle Gracia wanted was a quiet life. But after losing Mama—the only mother she knew, she poured herself into running their flower shop (the legacy Mama left behind), selling flowers and wrapping them into powerful portrait designs and around her aching heart. Sold into an arranged marriage to Antonioni D’Angélo, a ruthless billionaire mafia king known as “The Shadow King” A man who sees love as a weakness and betrayal as inevitable. Now, Annabelle is the price of a deadly deal, thrown into a world of power and shadows. She becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of secrets and betrayal all because of her father's accumulated debts from gambling, causing her to be trapped in a world of danger. But then, amidst Antonioni's ruthlessness, lies a feeling he has for Annabelle that he fought hard to control. Antonioni didn’t expect Annabelle’s fire, her defiance, or the way her quiet strength drew him in. Their nights are an intoxicating mix of pain, raw pleasure, and control. Yet, in her innocence and softness, she tries to shield herself from his cruelty. Antonioni finds something he thought the world had beaten out of him long ago—hope. As enemies and hurt close in from all sides—old rivals, betrayals, and hidden threats, Annabelle becomes more than a pawn in Antonioni’s world; she becomes his unexpected ally, and her courage steadies him. In protecting her, he learns how to protect himself from the deadly shadows within. Together, they must navigate a battlefield of purpose, blood and trust. Each battle forges them into something stronger. And when the truth about her past threatens to burn everything down, he must choose—will he cling to the darkness he's known forever? Or fight for the one he never deserved? Find out in the story.

THIS BOOK IS THE FULL SERIES OF BETWEEN MAFIA LINES. BETWEEN MAFIA LINES SERIES: Between Mafia Lines 1: The Mafia's Pawn(completed). Between Mafia Lines ||: Jasmine's Revenge (ongoing). THE MAFIA'S PAWN(Between Mafia Lines 1): 🥵I remembered the man from last night. Blue eyes, strong nose, hard abs, tanned skin, jet black hair, sweet lips. And a scar by his eyes. A work of art. He was a complete stranger but I couldn't resist him despite the fact that I had a four years relationship going on with my boyfriend, Tyler. But today, I stand before the stranger, he's my new boss. A trillionaire. I thought that was the end of it all and we would act like one night stand never happened, but not until he offered me a contract marriage. Captivated the second time, I accepted, cheating on my boyfriend, Tyler. Here I am, in love with my boss and sharing a passionate moment with him when the door slammed open. "Father, can you believe she cheated on me?!" I heard Tyler's voice. My Secret Contract Husband Is My Boyfriend's Father?!! JASMINE'S REVENGE(Between Mafia Lines ||): What happens when he leaves you for your best friend and humiliates you before the whole college at your birthday party? That same night, you are forced by your parents to give your heart to your sister who is suffering from a heart disease. You think that's the end for you until you wake up in a new body. Will Jasmine start to live a normal life again? Can she navigate her way to revenge in her new body or not? Or will she be defeated once again?

“Never forget, baby” she hissed, lips inches from mine, “you’re mine. You belong to me and only me. And I don’t fucking share what’s mine.” --- Stanley is just a broke college nerd working two jobs to survive. She’s the Bratva Queen who flew across continents just to meet the boy she was promised—only to tell him he couldn’t have her. But the moment she saw him, everything changed. Now, she needs him. Wants him. Even if he fights. Even if she has to break him. And Stanley? He’s nothing but a pawn in a game he doesn’t understand… What can he do?

(Volume 1 - main story) A mere pawn in the mafia world, Madeline must obey her father and marry the man she hasn't chosen for herself. But in a twist of fate, she finds herself at the hands of the dangerous and ruthless Victor Racini after he kidnapped her on her wedding day. "I'll save you from an awful marriage and assist you in destroying the man you so clearly despise, but in return, you will be mine in every way." (Volume 2 - Side Story) Emily showed up at the devil's door to ask for his protection. But the cunning, mischievous and ruthless Rafael Reigo never gave anything without a price. And he wants her whole being as the price. Her body, her soul, and her heart.

“You’re mine now little flower, mine!” Leah’s life took an unexpected turn the moment the most feared Alpha across all packs, Alpha Lucian chooses her as his new contracted mate after Layla, and the original mate breaks the mating contract. Leaving behind the life of torment and pain she lived in the Blueridge Pack, she’s forced to start a new one as his Luna, a life she had never dreamed of living. When she finally settles into her new pack, she discovers that she was just a pawn in Alpha Lucian’s game. Discovering the betrayal and deceit, would the lie keep them apart, or would the love that has grown between them keep them together? Find out!

Penelope thought she was her husband’s one and only love. Until she caught him in bed with her twin sister. Penelope Verdant has lived her life as a pawn and slave to her family desiring freedom. The only happiness in her life was her marriage of four years. She believed her husband loved her, he treated her well and never gave her a reason to doubt his love. But when she finds out he’s been sleeping with her sister longer than she’s been married to him, she becomes disillusioned with her marriage. She wants revenge for her wasted years. She files for divorce, only for her husband to reject it. Backed into a corner, she seeks help from a man she should never have sought out. The man known as The Devil of Deals, an elusive billionaire who wants nothing more than to possess her completely. His price is costly, one she isn't sure she can afford. But marriage is an even worse fate than selling her soul. Will she get her revenge, shatter the chains of her old life, and rise as the queen? Or will she sink into the depths of hell? The path from pawn to queen isn’t an easy one…and the Devil is not patient. (Content Warning: this is a dark billionaire romance containing mature themes including but not limited to: explicit sexual content, unhealthy obsession, toxic love, forbidden love, pain and blood kink, physical and sexual abuse (not between main characters), taboo family dynamics, a lot of swearing, and violence. Morality is but a friendly suggestion to the characters of this story. Proceed with caution.) THE THALORIAN PANTHEON SAGA LINEUP: BOOK 1.0: FALLING INTO THE DEVIL’S BED. BOOK 2.0: INFERNAL LILY (coming soon). BOOK 0.5: HIS HEAVENLY CURSE (coming soon).

Ingrid, the biological daughter of a high-class Las Vegas prostitute and an unidentified felon, was taken in by the esteemed and politically powerful Bishop family, despite the infamy surrounding her lineage. While her adoption provided her with stability and privilege, she grappled with assimilation, as the truth of her origins lingered as a whispered scandal within elite circles. For months, she was held in captivity—a pawn leveraged in the hopes of reviving the dwindling influence of her father’s political faction. Unbeknownst to her, the very syndicate responsible for her imprisonment was, in fact, her relatively same kin—a Grey. Among them was Jace—her known brother—whom she inadvertently fell in love with. Their relationship ignited public outrage, condemned as a textbook manifestation of Stockholm Syndrome. Yet the public remained blind to the deeper reality: a chilling embodiment of a morally ambiguous entanglement.